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Wednesday, February 14, 2024
Allegheny General Hospital Celebrates ‘National Donor Day’ by Honoring Local Organ Donors and their Recipients
PITTSBURGH – This Valentine’s Day, local organ donors and recipients gathered at AHN Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) to share their stories of generosity, courage and the life-saving power of organ donation. AGH’s annual National Donor Day luncheon and recognition ceremony took place at noon in the hospital’s Magovern Conference Center.
Observed every year on February 14th, National Donor Day is an observance dedicated to spreading awareness and education about organ, eye and tissue donation. On any given day, more than 100,000 people across the U.S. are awaiting a lifesaving organ to become available. Living organ donation offers people the chance to become superheroes, providing another person the chance to pursue dreams that aren’t otherwise possible.
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, more than 16,000 individuals donated organs posthumously and 6,000 individuals became living organ donors across the U.S. in 2023. In Pennsylvania, there were 308 living organ donors.
“National Donor Day is dedicated to spreading awareness about organ donation while recognizing those who have given and received the gift of life,” said Jennifer Carpenter, MD, surgical director of the living donor kidney transplant program at AHN. “Ahead of Donate Life Month in April, our transplant team is grateful for this opportunity to recognize those who have made this choice to help someone else live a healthy and fruitful life.”
As part of the ceremony, AGH patient Tom Kemp shared his inspiring story of kidney donation. Kemp first decided to pursue living donation with the hope that he could donate his kidney to his in-need neighbor. When his neighbor perfectly matched with another donor, however, Tom opted to become an altruistic donor instead. In January 2023, he donated his kidney to Gary Russo. Both of Coraopolis, the two did not previously know each other, but today are close friends.
The AHN Surgery Institute is nationally recognized for its organ transplantation program, providing high-quality care and a tailored approach to its patients. Transplant services offered at AGH include kidney and pancreas, liver and heart transplantation. To learn more, visit www.ahn.org/services/surgery/transplant.